JBP Present Authoring (Virtues)

Present Authoring: Virtues

Introduction: Virtues Analysis

This exercise has been designed to allow you to do an in-depth analysis of some of the positive aspects or virtues of your personality. It is the partner exercise to the faults analysis section of the present authoring exercise. It is our hope that constructing a clearer picture of your virtues will help you understand the impact of your personality traits on your life in the past, present, and future.

You can complete this exercise whether you are in a good, bad or neutral mood (while the faults analysis should not be completed if you are feeling down). This exercise will take you 60-90 minutes, depending on your choices. You will be asked first to read some information about basic personality theory and then to select 2-10 virtues from each of five lists of virtues (one list per basic personality trait).

Then you will be presented with the virtues you have selected, and asked to choose a final list of the virtues you think have most impacted your life. You will be asked to write for about 10 minutes, later, for each virtue you choose, after you have rank-ordered them in importance. We recommend that you choose 6-9 virtues (for 60 to 90 minutes of work), but you can choose as many as you like. Just remember that you will be asked to write about each one. You will be asked to describe how this virtue has strengthened you in the past; what you might have done differently to have made things even better; and what you could do now and in the future to increase the power and effect of this virtue.



Completing the Exercise 1

During this exercise, you will be presented with a series of pages either providing you with information, or asking you to describe aspects of your personality and experiences.

You may proceed through the exercise by clicking the Next button.

You can go back to previous pages by clicking Previous.

Each time you click Next or Previous, the data you have entered on that page will be saved. You can also save your data while remaining on the same page by clicking Save. In addition, many of the pages where you are asked to write for longer periods of time will automatically save every minute or so.

You may quit the exercise any time by clicking Exit/Home or shutting down your browser. If the current page is a page you have been writing on, remember to click Save before exiting. The text that you entered on previous pages will have already been saved.

You can come back to the exercise later, and resume your work. All your previous work will be waiting for you, and will be taken to the last point in the exercise you had completed.



Completing the Exercise 2

On many pages, you will not be able to successfully click Next or Previous unless you have provided a minimum of necessary text. If you do not, you will receive an error message, and the text box in question will be highlighted in red.

Text boxes also have a maximum length. Pay attention, as you write, to the numbers above the text boxes. Numbers like [180 / 1000] indicate that you have typed 180 characters out of a maximum allowable of 1000. When you go over the maximum, the numbers above the text box become red. Clicking Next, Previous, or Save will result in an error message and you will not be able to proceed to the Next or Previous page. To resolve this, edit your text until the number of characters is less than or equal to the maximum. These limitations have been established so that you do not get stalled at any point in the process.

We do encourage you to write in some detail, however, subject to those limitations. Our research indicates that better results are obtained as the amount written by participants increases.

There is a progress bar in the top right portion of the screen, which displays the percentage of the exercise that you have already completed. If you hover over the bar with the mouse, you can see approximately how much time it will still take to complete the exercise.

You may use the Index to jump to any page you have already completed. Clicking the [Index] link will open the index. Clicking it again will close it. Remember to click Save to save any work on the current page before using the index to jump to another page.

After you have completed the exercise, you will be taken to a Summary page. You can use that page to email yourself a copy of your writing.

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Part I: Background Knowledge

To complete the following exercise, there are a number of things that are useful to know (you may have encountered this information previously if you have completed the faults analysis exercise, but it might be worthwhile to review it):

Everybody's personality is composed of two higher-order traits. The first higher-order trait is known as plasticity, and can be thought of as the tendency to be flexible, exploratory, curious and quick to adapt. The second higher-order trait is known as stability, and can be thought of as the tendency to be structured, organized, emotionally stable and focused.



Plasticity

Plasticity, the first higher-order trait, can be further broken down into two sub-traits: Extraversion (the tendency to be enthusiastic and dominant) and Openness (the tendency to be open-minded and intelligent).

Extraversion (Outgoing vs Reserved)

- Sociable
- Active
- Adventurousness
- Positive
- Excitement-Seeking
- Gregarious

Openness (Original vs Traditional)

- Fantasy-prone
- Aesthetically-minded
- Philosophical
- Creative
- Intuitive
- Intellectual

Stability

Stability, the second higher-order trait, can be further broken down into three sub-traits: Conscientiousness (the tendency to be orderly and industrious), Emotional Stability (lack of negative emotional volatility and the tendency to withdraw), and Agreeableness (politeness and compassion, as opposed to belligerence or aggression).

Conscientiousness (Conscientious vs Carefree)

- Competent
- Orderly
- Decisive
- Achievement-oriented
- Self-disciplined
- Deliberate
- Industrious


Emotional Stability (Calm vs Nervous)

- Anxious (reversed)
- Angry (reversed
- Hostile (reversed)
- Depressed (reversed)
- Self-Conscious (reversed)
- Vulnerable (reversed)

Agreeableness (Agreeable vs Assertive/Aggressive)

- Warm
- Trusting
- Straightforward
- Altruistic
- Modest
- Compliant
- Tender-minded
- Nice

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Part II: Impact of Personality Traits

There are advantages and disadvantages to each trait, particularly at the extremes. Extremely sociable, extraverted people can be dominant and impulsive, while introverted, quiet people can easily become isolated and depressed. Extremely open people can be scattered and overwhelmed by their own thoughts and ideas, while closed-minded people may become narrow and inflexible. Exceptionally conscientious people can be obsessive about order, judgmental and rigid, while their more carefree counterparts may be messy, undisciplined and careless. People very high in emotional stability may engage in risky, dangerous behavior, while those who are more neurotic can become so preoccupied by anxiety and pain that they are unable to function. Finally, extremely agreeable people may never stand up for themselves, while those who are too assertive can be aggressive, callous and bullying.


Change

Personality is reasonably stable over the lifespan, and is also powerfully influenced by hereditary or genetic factors. Despite this, personality can broaden or even transform. As people age, for example, they tend to become more agreeable, conscientious and emotionally stable.
Changing personality means changing habits of action, presumption and perception. Personality change requires the formulation of clear future goals, as well as discipline and practice. People who are too agreeable can learn to stand up for themselves. Disorderly people can become more conscientious. Introverted people can become socially skilled. People who experience paralyzing levels of negative emotion can learn to explore.


Extraversion/Introversion

Select Relevant Items

Please select the positive traits or virtues that apply to you. You can select up to 10 traits, and are required to select at least 2. Be over-inclusive. Don’t worry if some of the positive descriptions are less descriptive of you, as you will get to specify the most relevant positive attributes later, when you make your final selections, prior to writing.

+ Can be the life of the party
+ Feel comfortable around people
+ Easily start conversations
+ Talk to a lot of different people at social occasions
+ Don't mind being the center of attention
+ Make friends easily
+ Can take charge and lead
+ Know how to captivate people
+ Feel at ease with people
+ Am skilled in handling social situations
+ Am often happy
+ Make other people laugh and have fun
+ Am enthusiastic about new opportunities
+ Am fun to be around
+ Like to invite people out or at home to socialize
+ Can listen well
+ Do not dominate conversations
+ Am rarely or never too loud
+ Do not spend my money on a whim
+ Do not party or socialize excessively
+ Do not attract undue attention to myself
+ Do not always talk about myself
+ Am not grandiose or arrogant
+ Am comfortable alone
+ Enjoy time in natural surroundings
+ Do not always need to seek excitement or novelty
+ Am rarely impulsive
+ Do not always have to be the center of attention
+ Let other people have the spotlight
+ Think before I act


Openness/Traditionalism

Select Relevant Items

Please select the positive traits or virtues that apply to you. You can select up to 10 traits, and are required to select at least 2. Be over-inclusive. Don’t worry if some of the positive descriptions are less descriptive of you, as you will get to specify the most relevant positive attributes later, when you make your final selections, prior to writing.

+ Am full of ideas
+ Am quick to understand things
+ Can handle a lot of information
+ Carry the conversation to a higher level
+ Catch on to things quickly
+ Have a rich vocabulary
+ Am philosophically inclined
+ Have a vivid imagination
+ Am a creative person
+ Have excellent ideas
+ Am always learning new things
+ Spend time reflecting on things
+ Am entrepeneurial
+ Have a lot of insight into myself and others
+ Can always see new possibility in things
+ Believe that the tried and true way is the right way
+ Am a very sensible person
+ Never follow fads
+ Respect authority
+ See the value in tradition and custom
+ Do not believe in change for the sake of change
+ Am seldom or never bothered by strange thoughts or feelings
+ Am stable in my moral beliefs
+ Try not to introduce unnecessary change into my life
+ Am concerned that my parents or relatives approve of my decisions
+ Do not upset my parents or other cultural authorities with doubts and questions
+ Am a down-to-earth person
+ Am not flighty or unpredictable
+ Am seldom attracted by foolish, new-age ideas
+ Am resistant to radical, dangerous thoughts


Conscientiousness/Carelessness

Select Relevant Items

Please select the positive traits or virtues that apply to you. You can select up to 10 traits, and are required to select at least 2. Be over-inclusive. Don’t worry if some of the positive descriptions are less descriptive of you, as you will get to specify the most relevant positive attributes later, when you make your final selections, prior to writing.

+ Am always prepared
+ Have a very long attention span and can work without being distracted
+ Am exacting in my work
+ Continue until everything is perfect
+ Do things according to a plan
+ Strive for efficiency and economy
+ Get chores or tasks done right away
+ Have seen my tendency for hard work pay off
+ Love order and regularity
+ Make plans and stick to them
+ Pay attention to details
+ Am extremely reliable
+ Always arrive at appointments early or on time
+ Am very goal-oriented
+ Do what I say I am going to do
+ Have a relaxed, laid-back attitude
+ Can easily be spontaneous and enjoy the moment
+ Am not judgemental
+ Do not set my expectations too high
+ Am never perfectionistic
+ Do not feel that I always have to be in control
+ Do not impose a rigid set of standards on other people
+ Am not bothered when things don't go according to plan
+ Live in the moment
+ Don't get too caught up in my work
+ Am seldom bothered by disorder
+ Never do more work than is necessary
+ Am not too uptight
+ Know how to go with the flow
+ Don't waste my time thinking about little details


Emotional Stability/Low Stress Tolerance

Select Relevant Items

Please select the positive traits or virtues that apply to you. You can select up to 10 traits, and are required to select at least 2. Be over-inclusive. Don’t worry if some of the positive descriptions are less descriptive of you, as you will get to specify the most relevant positive attributes later, when you make your final selections, prior to writing.

+ Am content with my physical appearance, despite its flaws
+ Am difficult to offend
+ Am in control of my emotions
+ Am not afraid of new people or social situations
+ Am rarely or never stopped from doing what I want by my fears
+ Am relaxed most of the time
+ Calm down quickly when I do get upset
+ Don't get caught up in my problems or blow things out of proportion
+ Rarely complain or grumble about things
+ Rarely get irritated or angry
+ Rarely or never suffer extreme anxiety, even when stressed
+ Rarely self-conscious, ashamed or embarrassed
+ Seldom feel depressed or blue
+ Seldom feel hurt
+ Seldom get disturbed or upset
+ Seldom do anything dangerous
+ Am rarely incautious
+ Feel enough shame if I do something stupid so I won't do it again
+ Make safety a top priority
+ Watch what I eat carefully
+ Am aware of potential trouble even when other people appear confident
+ Am protective and careful with little children
+ Will go to the doctor's office if there seems to be something wrong with me
+ Am very careful with my sexual behavior
+ Am a cautious, careful person
+ Don't rush into things before I feel comfortable
+ My higher levels of anxiety have kept me safer than some people I know
+ Am good at identifying the risks in new situations
+ Stay out of places that might have dangerous people in them
+ Stick to what I know and am comfortable with


Agreeable/Assertive

Select Relevant Items

Please select the positive traits or virtues that apply to you. You can select up to 10 traits, and are required to select at least 2. Be over-inclusive. Don’t worry if some of the positive descriptions are less descriptive of you, as you will get to specify the most relevant positive attributes later, when you make your final selections, prior to writing.

+ Trust people
+ Am interested in people
+ Am on good terms with nearly everyone
+ Feel others' emotions
+ Have a soft heart
+ Work very well with other people on teams
+ Inquire genuinely about others' well-being
+ Know how to comfort others
+ Love children
+ Make people feel at ease
+ Sympathize with others' feelings
+ Am a good peacemaker
+ Take time out for others
+ Truly care about others
+ Am a very loyal friend
+ Will stand up for myself
+ Am not easily swayed by emotions that might be manipulative
+ Am good at seeing beneath the surface of false good intentions
+ Am sceptical
+ Am not a martyr
+ Will not forgive easily if betrayed or deceived
+ Can see when people are playing games
+ Am not naively innocent
+ Am aware that malevolence exists in the world
+ Do not always believe what people promise
+ Do not trust people too easily
+ Am very rarely taken advantage of
+ Will confront people if necessary
+ Can be demanding when the circumstances warrant
+ Am cautious of good intentions before proof is offered

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Part III: HABIT SELECTION

Here is a complete listing (from Part II) of the positive traits or virtues you selected:

Please look at this listing. Please select a smaller, focused set of traits that you would believe characterize you most accurately, and that you could continue to employ with positive results in the future. Imagine that you are trying to capitalize on your strengths. Click the traits that you think are most typical of you, or are most important to you. We recommend selecting 6 to 9 items, but you may select a greater or lesser number. Remember, however, that you will be asked to write for about 10 minutes for each virtue you select. When you have selected the most typical or important ones, click Next. After you have finished this section, you will be asked to write about how this virtue affected you positively in the past, what you might have done even better, and how you could improve more generally in the future.

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Part IV: Prioritize Your Selection

Here is a column containing your most typical or important positive traits or virtues (from Part III), in no particular order. Please rank order them from most to least relevant or important:

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Part V: In the order in which you ranked your most typical or important positive traits or virtues (Part IV). Please write a (a) short story, (b) alternative outcome, and (c) guidelines for general improvement

(a) Describe an Experience - Please write a short story (approximately 1,000 characters) about a time in your life when this positive trait or virtue contributed to or created a situation that had a positive impact on your life. (2000 characters max)

(b) Alternative Outcome - Write a short paragraph about what you might have done differently in that situation, so that it might have turned out even better. (2000 characters max)


(c) Guidelines for general improvement - Now that you've thought about how you might have improved things even more for yourself or others in that particular situation, please think about this virtue in more general terms. How could you work on capitalizing on this positive trait in general, so that you or others that you care about benefit as much as possible? (2000 characters max)

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Part VI: Conclusion

You have now completed the positive traits or virtues identification section of the self-authoring suite. Everything that you have written is available in the report. You may find it helpful to review the virtues you have identified, as well as the ways that you plan on improving or capitalizing on them.

You may also want to consider completing the faults analysis (the remainder of the present authoring section), the past authoring or autobiography exercise, or the future authoring exercise, which will help you understand what you want in the future (and how you might get it).